Cooper Catalano remembers how differently he viewed his place within the University of Wisconsin football program a year ago.
The Germantown native arrived at Wisconsin as a true freshman simply hoping to make the travel roster. By the end of the season, Catalano had appeared in all 12 games, started five and established himself alongside Mason Posa as one of the young building blocks of the Badgers’ defense.
Now the 6-foot-1, 232-pound linebacker enters Year 2 under Luke Fickell with a starting job, considerably greater expectations and, perhaps most importantly, a different understanding of what Wisconsin needs from him.
“Last year I was kind of naive, and I was just happy to be on the team, happy to have an opportunity to play,” Catalano told reporters. “And this year I really feel like the heightened awareness, the hyper-urgency to win and perform.”
That urgency makes sense.
Wisconsin opens its season Sunday against No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, giving a program that has spent the offseason talking about different energy, improved leadership and closing the gap an immediate opportunity to show whether any of it translates.
Catalano believes it will.
“I think it’s all the work we put in the offseason,” Catalano said. “I think it’s all of the guys who have bought into Coach Fick and this program. We’ve been saying it the whole offseason, there’s a different feeling, different energy. So I’m excited to go out on the field and see what that looks like.”
Catalano earned a larger role in Wisconsin’s defense
The confidence surrounding Catalano isn’t based solely on projection.
Catalano finished his freshman season with 56 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pressures and two sacks despite starting only five games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Catalano played 362 defensive snaps and earned a 69.4 overall defensive grade, a 69.6 run-defense grade, 59.9 tackling grade, 66.7 pass-rush grade and 65.2 coverage grade.
None of those numbers suggest that Catalano is a finished product. Collectively, though, they paint the picture of a remarkably steady foundation for a true freshman playing Big Ten football to build on.
That’s also what makes his partnership with Posa so intriguing.
Posa brings a little more obvious playmaking juice, while Catalano plays with an efficient, downhill physicality that complements him well. Together, they give Wisconsin two young linebackers who already look comfortable operating at the center of Mike Tressel’s defense.
Catalano believes the biggest improvement around them has been communication.
“I think overall just the communication,” Catalano said of the defense’s biggest jump as a unit since the start of fall camp. “We’re talking really well as a defense. I think we’re making a lot of checks and communication on the field, pre- and post-snap. That’s a big emphasis for us as linebackers being in the middle trying to lead that communication-wise.”
And Wisconsin believes it has more than just its two starters.
Catalano went as far as calling Wisconsin’s linebacker room “one of the best linebacker rooms in the nation,” pointing to the number of players he believes can contribute defensively and on special teams.
That’s a lofty declaration for a group that still has plenty to prove, but Kansas transfer Jon Jon Kamara and Thomas Heiberger should also rotate in behind the starters and bring unique strengths of their own.
Catalano, meanwhile, isn’t approaching this season like the freshman who was simply thrilled to get on the field anymore.
He has spent additional hours at the facility and in the film room preparing for the increased responsibility. And when the Wisconsin Badgers run onto Lambeau Field, Catalano will do so knowing exactly what comes with being one of the players expected to help lead this defense.
“The sense of urgency is up,” Catalano said. “I’m starting, so that’s a different feeling. But last year and this year I’ve tried to prepare in similar ways. And game week-wise, I think Coach Tuf [Borland] and Coach Tressel did a great job last year, kind of preparing me like I was a starter.”
For Wisconsin, that increased urgency needs to extend well beyond what Catalano brings to the field. Sunday is the first opportunity to show it.
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